


Murder à Trois

by ioanite



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: Gen, Mystery, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-28 19:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3866305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ioanite/pseuds/ioanite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry and Jo investigate the murder of a young woman. It turns out that she was involved in a very...unorthodox love triangle.</p>
<p>Also known as "Ioanite's attempt to write a Forever episode"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Murder à Trois

_(OPEN ON: the living room of an apartment, nicely furnished but with a little bit of clutter scattered here and there. The door opens and Cass enters with her boyfriend Val. He has his arm around her shoulders, and they’re both laughing.)_

CASS: That was fantastic, Val. You’re a great singer.

VAL: Yeah, when I’m in the car. Don’t expect me to get up on stage for Karaoke night anytime soon.

_(Cass turns round to face him, smiling seductively.)_

CASS: Mmm, don’t count on that. I’ll keep working on you.

VAL: I’d like to see you try. _(Kisses her, then pulls away)_ See you on Tuesday?

CASS: Of course. I’ll call you on Monday to figure out all the details.

VAL: Sounds good. Say hi to the others for me.

_(Cass nods and waves as he exits. Grinning, she turns around and notices a note on a nearby table. She picks it up and looks at it. Closeup on the note.)_

NOTE: Hope you had a good time on your date tonight. Unfortunately, it’s still your night to do the dishes. –D

_(Cass chuckles and sets the note down.)_

_(JUMP CUT; the kitchen. Cass is at the sink, washing dishes. The faucet is running, and she’s humming to herself.)_

_(CUT TO; the front door, which opens and closes carefully.)_

_(CUT TO; Cass, still washing.)_

_(CUT TO; the killer’s POV, peeking in on Cass from the doorway.)_

_(CUT TO; a front view of Cass’ face. She’s smiling, a smile that is abruptly cut off as a gloved hand snakes around her and claps over her mouth. She lets out a muffled scream, and there’s a flash of something metallic.)_

_(CUT TO; Cass’ hand releasing a plate, which shatters on the kitchen floor.)_

_(JUMP CUT; Cass’ body in the morgue. There’s a small but ugly red mark on her neck, with streaks of dried blood on her shoulder blade. Slow pan over the body.)_

HENRY (voiceover): Sometimes, we know death is coming. It can be seconds before a fatal crash, or it can just be a certain feeling deep inside after battling a long illness. To many, however, death comes suddenly, with little time to prepare. And to those left behind, that suddenness can leave them adrift, unsure what to do and how to cope. Mourners have to rely on each other to pull any semblance of sense out of it all.

_(Henry and Lucas are looking over the body while Jo stands nearby.)_

JO: Victim’s name was Cass Cham. 26, copy editor for some small fashion magazine named _Fresh Style_ , shared an apartment with two other girls. No arrest record, no police reports filed, one parking ticket from two years ago which she promptly paid.

HENRY: Then this was obviously a crime of passion. Although judging from the wounds, this was also premeditated.

JO: _(Comes forward)_ What have you got?

_(Henry gestures to the neck; pull in for a closeup as he speaks.)_

HENRY: The wound on her neck is prominent, but it wasn’t what killed her. It’s not deep enough to have severed an artery, and the minimal amount of blood confirms that. No, the actual cause of death was strangulation, and based on the smudgy quality of the marks, the murderer wore gloves. It seems likely the murderer stabbed her neck with the intent to disorient her, at which point they strangled her.

_(Jo steps away from the body and nods.)_

JO: That explains why we didn’t find much blood at the crime scene. Anything else?

_(Henry examines the body.)_

HENRY: There’s no indication of sexual assault, no skin flakes or hairs clinging to the body to point to a suspect, and the victim was healthy when she died. _(He makes a face, sets her arm down, and straightens up)_ She also had a cat.

JO: _(Grins)_ Let me guess. Traces of fur on her body? Or maybe light scratch marks on her arm?

HENRY: Very good, Detective, but not in this case. It’s just that I’m… _(Henry abruptly turns and sneezes into his arm) Ashh!_

JO: Bless you! You ok?

HENRY: _(Smiles sheepishly)_ I’m fine. It’s just that I’m allergic to cats.

_(CUT TO: Title)_

_(After titles, JUMP CUT TO; a cat sitting on a sofa, washing itself. Pull back to show we’re back in the apartment. Dana and Kim are also sitting on the couch, looking upset. Dana is stroking the cat with one hand, and her other hand is resting on her stomach, occasionally flexing or squeezing.)_

DANA: I still can’t believe she’s gone, you know? She was just so peppy and cheerful. I would never have thought _anyone_ would want her dead.

_(Jo and Henry are standing in the middle of the apartment. Jo is in front of the couch, while Henry is standing closer to the wall. He’s subtly attempting to lean as far away from the cat as possible, and has a handkerchief folded in one hand.)_

JO: Were you both close to her, then?

KIM: Absolutely. I mean, we weren’t like best friends or anything, but we never had any major fights with each other about messes or having people over. We always were asking each other how our days went, or helping each other dress for a big event. Cass was always good at picking out clothes that matched our hair and eyes…

_(She trails off, wiping her eyes. Jo points to the front door. Henry, meanwhile, crosses over and peers at the lock.)_

JO: Do you guys lock your front door when you’re at home?

DANA: Normally, yes. Sometimes Cass could forget, though. She could be a bit scatterbrained, especially if she’d had a good day and was excited about something. But we always made sure to check it before going to bed, and it normally wasn’t a big deal if the door was unlocked for an hour or so.

_(Henry squints at the lock.)_

HENRY: Which would explain why there’s no sign of forced entry. Either she forgot to lock the door, or the murderer had a key.

_(Jo looks at the girls.)_

JO: I’m not accusing you of anything, but I am going to need to know where you two were last night between Ten and Eleven PM.

DANA: I was out at dance practice. We’ve got a big competition coming up, so we need to run through our routines as much as we can.

KIM: I was at the library. I’m researching grad schools to try to figure out what the hell I’m doing with my life.

_(Jo smiles a little at that. Henry, meanwhile, has been wandering around the room, looking around, still trying to keep his distance from the couch.)_

JO: Is there anyone else who would have a key to your apartment?

DANA: Besides the landlord? Just Val.

JO: And who’s Val?

KIM: Cass’ boyfriend. They’ve been together for about six months.

JO: And she let him have a key?

_(Dana looks sheepish.)_

DANA: Not exactly. He just sort of…kept it.

JO: Meaning?

HENRY: Meaning that Val was dating Dana before he dated Cass.

_(Dana turns to look over the couch in surprise.)_

DANA: How did you know?

_(Henry gestures to a nearby shelf, where a variety of photographs are sitting.)_

HENRY: There aren’t as many pictures of you on this wall as there are of your roommates, but there’s empty spaces, as though there used to be framed pictures there. Presumably you removed them after your breakup.

_(Dana looks impressed.)_

DANA: Wow, you’re good.

HENRY: Isn’t it a bit callous of Cass to date your ex while you were still sharing an apartment?

DANA: _(shrugging)_ Not really. Val and I just realized we weren’t right for each other and agreed to call it off. Still hurt, of course—we’d been dating for a year at that point—but after a few months, Cass told me she’d always thought Val was kinda hot, and asked if I was ok with her making a move. I wanted her to be happy, and I realized Val had a lot in common with her, so I said sure. Yeah, it’s still a bit weird if Val and I are in the same room together, but we’re friendly with each other, and Cass is…was really great at getting rid of any tension.

_(Jo looks incredulous.)_

JO: So there was no enmity between you two whatsoever?

DANA: What? Why shouldn’t friends and exes mix? I’ll never understand why someone you know dating an old boyfriend is this terrible thing. Why can’t people be a little more cool with that?

_(Henry, who’s crouched down on the floor to get a better look at the floor that leads into the kitchen, tilts his head slightly at her words, leading into a…)_

_(FLASHBACK: London, 1923. Henry is at a party, holding a glass of champagne and talking with a young woman, who is looking at him with rapt attention. Clearly, she has feelings for him.)_

ELOISE: Oh, Henry, that’s simply marvelous! I never knew all that about Dickens! Really, you make it sound as though you knew him personally.

HENRY: It’s all in the telling, really. I’m sure there are similar subjects that you get impassioned about.

ELOISE: Oh, maybe so, but you’re just so… _expressive_. I could listen to you talk for hours. _(She lays her hand on his arm)_ Maybe it’s that voice of yours.

_(Henry smiles slightly and takes a sip of champagne. Eloise turns around at someone calling her name and smiles brightly.)_

ESTHER: Eloise! There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere!

ELOISE: Esther, darling!

_(The two hug and air kiss each others' cheeks. Smiling, Eloise turns back to Henry and gestures to her companion.)_

ELOISE: Henry, may I introduce you to my very dearest friend, Esther Pliss.

_(Esther holds out a hand, giving Henry a look that suggests she likes what she sees.)_

ESTHER: Charmed.

_(Henry takes her hand with a smile. There’s a flash of light to transition to…)_

_(MODERN DAY: Henry looks up in surprise as Kim speaks.)_

KIM (offscreen): Orpheus!

_(The cat has climbed onto the back of the sofa and is crouched in “hunting” stance.)_

KIM: I’m sorry, Dr. Morgan, but I think he’s entranced by your scarf. You might want to stand up before…

_(Orpheus springs for Henry, who flinches and holds up his hands. Cut to commercial.)_  
***  
 _(Henry and Jo are in the elevator. Henry looks distinctly ruffled, there’s a rip in his scarf, and he’s got his handkerchief pressed firmly over his nose and mouth.)_

HENRY: _Heshh! Heshh! Ishh!_

JO: Bless you. You gonna be all right?

HENRY: I’ll be… _ipshh!_...fine. I j-just… _nshh!_...need some fresh air.

JO: At least they apologized…?

HENRY: I know, I know. It’s just what cats do. That doesn’t mean I…I… _ikshh!_...I’m any happier with the results.

_(The elevator door opens and the two of them walk out, exiting the apartment complex. Henry is still sporadically sniffing and rubbing his nose throughout.)_

JO: Probably best to get your mind off it. Anything we can work with?

HENRY: I didn’t get to examine the room as much as I’d have liked, for obvious reasons, but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary other than the items I mentioned.

JO: Maybe something’ll come up when we talk to Val. Speaking of, what do you make of that weird dating setup they’ve got going on?

HENRY: _(shrugs)_ Different people handle relationships in different ways. Just because it doesn’t make sense to you and me doesn’t mean it didn’t work for them. All that being said, I couldn’t imagine doing anything like that.

_(They reach Jo’s car, and she opens the driver’s door, grinning.)_

JO: Neither can I. Come on, let’s go talk to Val.

_(They get in the car. Jo starts the car, and just before driving off, lowers the windows. Henry gives her a grateful glance and tucks his handkerchief away.)_

_(JUMP CUT: A storage warehouse for a grocery store. Val, wearing an apron, is taking bags out of a large box and stacking them on the shelves. Throughout the scene, he moves around, stacking the shelves. Jo and Henry stand nearby, following him when necessary. Henry has removed his scarf.)_

VAL: I’m still in shock about it, honestly. I can’t believe _anyone_ would want to murder Cass. She was the sweetest thing. I never heard anyone say anything bad about her.

JO: So you don’t have any suggestions for places for us to look?

VAL: I wish I could be more help, but right now, I’ve got nothing.

JO: What about Dana Massey?

VAL: _(looks up, surprised)_ Dana? Why would you suspect Dana?

JO: We don’t suspect anybody right now. I just know that she’s your ex, so…

VAL: _(shaking his head)_ No, no, she would never! We were friends before we dated, and we’re still friends now.

JO: _(incredulous)_ Really?

VAL: _(indignantly)_ Really. It was a bit awkward initially, but we’re working through it. It might not ever be like it used to, but she’d always have my back, and vice versa.

JO: And she never seemed bitter about you dating Cass?

VAL: No. She even offered me a few tips for places to take her. Why are you asking me about this if you don’t suspect her?

JO: I’m just trying to get all the facts, Mr. Steiner. But we can move on from that for now. What time did you and Cass get back from your date?

VAL: Around nine thirty, nine forty-five.

JO: And what did you do after you left her apartment?

VAL: I went home to my apartment. I took the subway back. Sorry that I can’t give you something more substantial.

JO: It’s all right. Thank you for your time, Mr. Steiner. We’ll be in touch.

_(Val nods. As Jo and Henry move away, he watches them go, looking annoyed.)_

_(JUMP CUT: Henry and Jo are outside, walking towards/getting in her car.)_

JO: So, what do you think?

HENRY: I think he’s telling the truth. His hands were generally fairly steady when he was handling the various groceries, but they did shake one time; when you were questioning him about his past relationship with Dana. Coupled with the tone in his voice, I think it was due more to your line of questioning than any hidden guilt or nerves.

JO: Well, we’ll be able to find out soon enough. We can check the camera footage from that particular subway station to see if it backs up his alibi. Care to join me?

HENRY: _(shakes his head)_ Just drop me at the morgue, if you could. I want to examine Cass’ body again and see if I can determine what was used to stab her neck. Maybe that will provide another lead.

JO: Got it. I’ll let you know what we find.

HENRY: Likewise.

_(He closes the door of the car.)_

_(JUMP CUT; Henry enters the morgue, where Lucas is waiting.)_

LUCAS: There you are, Doc! What’s the plan?

HENRY: Bring out Miss Cham’s body, Lucas. We’re going to be investigating that puncture wound in more detail.

LUCAS: We? I think you mean “Me”, Doc.

_(Henry gives him a look. Lucas looks pleased with himself.)_

HENRY: And why is that?

LUCAS: Well, given your cat allergy, you don’t want to be sneezing and contaminating the body. So I should be the one doing the looking, while you stand around, hand me tools, and speculate about what it all means.

_(Henry reaches over and plucks a face mask from a box on the desk and dangles it between his fingers, looking at Lucas pointedly. Lucas looks abashed.)_

LUCAS: Oor you could just wear that. Yeah, that’s probably the better idea.

HENRY: Just prep the body, Lucas.

_(JUMP CUT: Henry and Lucas are bent over the body. Henry, who is indeed wearing the face mask, has a set of calipers out, measuring the wound.)_

HENRY: It looks to be about eight millimeters in diameter. Whatever it was, it had to be sharp enough to puncture with one quick motion, since there’s only one entry point. It’s too small and rounded to be a knife, too large to be a syringe.

LUCAS: Is the great Henry Morgan actually stumped for once? I never thought I’d see the day!

_(Henry straightens up and removes the mask.)_

HENRY: It’s just a matter of figuring out what else is capable of causing this damage. And I know just the person to ask.

_(Cut to commercial.)_  
***  
 _(ESTABLISHING SHOT: The front of Abe’s Antiques.)_

_(Abe sets several plastic boxes on the table, where Henry’s already sitting.)_

ABE: Here we go, all the long, thin, pointy things I could find. Let’s get looking.

HENRY: Thank you, Abraham.

_(Henry opens one of the boxes and starts lifting the objects up, squinting at them, putting his finger to the edge, miming stabbing with them, etc. Each time, he sets them aside. Abe, meanwhile, is still scrutinizing his first piece.)_

HENRY: _(after each examination)_ No…no…no…

_(Abe sets down his item.)_

ABE: Do you want me to help, or to just keep you company? With a speed like that, maybe I should ask _you_ to run inventory next time.

HENRY: _(setting down the latest item and smiling apologetically)_ Sorry. I’d just like to have an answer for Detective Martinez when she calls.

ABE: Ah, I’m just kvetching more than anything. Go ahead.

_(Henry returns to the job and sets aside two more pieces. Abe fiddles with his item for a second, then speaks.)_

ABE: So you really don’t have any ideas on this one, huh?

HENRY: _(while squinting at the latest object)_ I always have ideas. It’s just that in this case, I have no clear direction to go in.

ABE: If you ask me, the roommate sounds guilty as sin. Opportunity _and_ motive; that’s two major elements right there.

HENRY: She has an alibi, not to mention that both she and the boyfriend have refuted any suspicions of jealousy multiple times.

ABE: What was it that Shakespeare said? “Methinks the lady doth protest too much?”

HENRY: A common misconception. The “methinks” goes at the _end_ of the sentence.

_(Abe waves a hand.)_

ABE: The point is, sometimes the people making a big deal about Thing A actually feel Thing B. She could be saying that to save face.

HENRY: It’s possible, though I’m not willing to jump to that particular conclusion just yet, even if the dating situation she describes sounds a bit…unorthodox.

ABE: _(snorts)_ Unorthodox? That’s a regular harem the guy’s got going on! Any guy in that situation is simultaneously the luckiest and unluckiest guy in the world!

_(Henry glances up as Abe speaks, and we transition to…)_

_(FLASHBACK: A door opens, and Esther leads Henry into an elegant sitting room.)_

ESTHER: Here we are! Home sweet home!

HENRY: _(looking around)_ It’s lovely. You arranged all this yourself?

ESTHER: Every scrap. The wallpaper, furniture, the little decorative flourishes…all my idea. Everyone says I have quite an eye for design.

_(While Henry looks around appreciatively, she sits down on the sofa. After a moment, she clears her throat to get Henry’s attention. When he finally looks over at her, she pats the place next to her.)_

ESTHER: Come on, sit down. I didn’t invite you here to be on your feet. You get enough of that at work, I’d imagine.

_(Henry chuckles and sits down. Esther immediately presses close to him, sliding her arm through his and looking up at him flirtatiously.)_

ESTHER: There we are. Nice and cozy.

HENRY: _(trying to disentangle himself politely)_ Quite. Do you know when Eloise will be coming? We wouldn’t want to start the tea without her.

ESTHER: Oh, didn’t I tell you? Eloise rang me up and said she was terribly sorry, but she wouldn’t be able to make it. Some crisis or other with her family. Probably those cousins of hers again. The things they get up to…

HENRY: _(suspiciously)_ Did she, now…?

ESTHER: Mmm-hmmm. I’ll get the tea ready in a moment; I just need to rest my feet.

HENRY: Esther…you are aware that I’m involved with Eloise, aren’t you?

ESTHER: Of course I am, you goose. Do you think that really matters to me?

HENRY: She’s your friend…

ESTHER: _(moving closer)_ And good friends are willing to share. At least, that’s the way _I_ see it.

_(Henry opens his mouth to protest, but Esther leans in and kisses Henry deeply, hands buried in his hair. Henry’s body language makes it clear he’s not happy about this, but a flash of light transitions to…)_

_(MODERN DAY: Henry’s interrupted from his reverie by the phone ringing. Abe immediately crosses over and picks it up.)_

ABE: Hello? Ah, Detective, we were expecting your call! Here’s Henry.

_(Abe passes over the phone, and Henry puts it to his ear.)_

HENRY: Hello, Jo. Any news?

_(CUT TO: Jo, shifting through papers at her desk.)_

JO: Plenty. We checked the subway cameras, and Val’s alibi checks out. On the other hand, we checked with the dance troupe Dana belongs to, and they said she disappeared for a good hour without any explanation. Guess when that happened?

_(CUT TO: Henry, getting to his feet.)_

HENRY: Sometime around Ten PM. How long a drive is it from the practice area to the apartment?

_(CUT TO: Jo, holding up a sheaf of papers.)_

JO: Oh, about fifteen minutes if the traffic’s good. But that’s not all. The tech guys went through Cass’ laptop and phone printed out all the e-mails she’d saved, and while there’s a lot of friendly e-mails between her and her roommates, she has a good number with Val where they’re discussing, and I quote, “you-know-who’s” creepy behavior. You willing to brave the cat hair to ask a few more questions?

_(CUT TO: Henry, who nods.)_

HENRY: Pick me up at the store. But I think I’ll leave the scarf behind this time.

_(JUMP CUT: Jo and Henry entering the apartment, while Kim holds the door for them.)_

KIM: Come in. Dana should be back in about twenty minutes. She’s getting the stuff for dinner. Anything I can do in the meantime?

HENRY: _(looking around warily)_ You could tell me where the cat has gotten off to.

_(There’s a mew from nearby. Kim grins and points to the foot of the couch.)_

KIM: He’s over there, playing with Cass’ knitting basket. I probably should have gotten rid of it, but he loves playing with the yarn. It’s such a cliché, but it seems to be true in Orpheus’ case. I could move it out of the way if you don’t want him to bother…

_(Orpheus is indeed near a basket, batting at an unfinished piece of cloth. A set of knitting needles can be seen amongst the yarn. Henry’s eyes widen, and he darts forward, much to Kim and Jo’s surprise.)_

JO: Henry?

_(Henry kneels down and starts sifting through the basket, lifting out the knitting needles to examine them. Orpheus looks indignant. Thanks to the proximity to Orpheus, Henry’s voice becomes more blocked as he speaks.)_

HENRY: The mark on Cass’ neck was caused by something small, metallic, and sharp. I couldn’t place it at the time, but if my hypothesis is correct…

_(Just as he holds up one knitting needle, Orpheus swats his tail in Henry’s face. Henry visibly fights against the sneeze before giving in.)_

HENRY: Yes! This needle doesn’t appear to have a partner, and it would be in Cass’ best interest to keep them together to prevent inju… _Rishh!_

_(Kim comes forward and scoops up Orpheus, shaking him slightly. Henry rubs his nose and gets to his feet, still holding the needle.)_

KIM: Bad cat! Leave him alone!

HENRY: Have you gotten rid of your garbage yet?

KIM: _(shakes her head)_ No. Trash day’s not until Thursday.

JO: Which trash can’s the closest?

_(JUMP CUT: Jo pulls the trash can out from under the sink in the kitchen and upends it onto the floor. She and Henry start sifting through it, until finally…)_

JO: Henry…

_(She holds up a knitting needle that has a fair amount of dried blood on it. She and Henry look at each other with a “we’ve got ‘em” expression. Cut to commercial.)_  
***  
 _(FADE IN: The interrogation room at the police station. Dana is sitting at the table, hands in front of her, looking both afraid and angry. Jo is sitting across from her.)_

DANA: I’m telling you, I didn’t do it! I would never have done that to Cass!

JO: Witnesses at your dance group say you disappeared for an hour, right around the time that Cass was killed. Can you explain that?

_(CUT TO: Henry and Lt. Reece standing on the other side of the mirror. They watch as Dana folds her arms across her chest and looks away, uncomfortable.)_

DANA: I…yes. I can. But it’s…personal.

JO: I understand, but if it’s the only way to clear your name…

_(CUT TO: Inside the interrogation room. Dana looks back at Jo.)_

DANA: No, like, I mean _really_ personal. “Things going on in my body” personal.

_(Jo makes a comprehending face.)_

JO: Oh. You mean you were…

DANA: Yeah. It kind of snuck up on me, and I felt the cramps starting midway through a foxtrot. I spent that hour locked in the bathroom, doubled over and hoping the medication kicked in faster. I know I don’t have any proof to place me at the scene, but if you check my bathroom, you’ll see my old…

JO: _(Interrupting quickly)_ I’m sure you’re right. Thank you. We’ll need to keep you here a little longer, but this has been very helpful.

_(JUMP CUT: Jo and Henry walking to Jo’s desk.)_

JO: What do you think?

HENRY: It’s certainly plausible.

_(FLASHBACKS: Dana rubbing her stomach.)_

HENRY (voiceover): When we visited her at her apartment the first time, she kept massaging her stomach, as though she was trying to relieve an ache. That would tie in nicely with what she’s just said.

_(MODERN DAY: Jo sits down at her desk and sifts through the papers.)_

JO: Even so, that doesn’t explain the e-mails. There’s at least a dozen here that have both Cass and Val talking about clingy, erratic behavior from one of their friends.

_(Henry considers for a moment.)_

HENRY: Do these…e-mails specifically mention Dana by name, or are they all just labeled with “you-know-who?”

_(Jo quickly scans the papers, which have been highlighted with the relevant information.)_

JO: No…it’s always “you-know-who.”

HENRY: Are there any identifying descriptors of “You-know-who?” Mentions of dance or any past history between Dana and Val?

JO: _(scanning again)_ No, nothing. _(Her eyes light up and she sets the papers down, turning to her computer)_ Hang on, there’s something I can do.

_(Henry comes around to peer over her shoulder.)_

HENRY: What is it?

JO: The tech boys sent all the documents to me in one large file; I just printed it out to make it easier to sort through. But I can do a document wide search for Dana’s name. Maybe that’ll reveal something we missed.

_(She types on the keyboard, and points to the screen. Henry just looks increasingly lost as she explains.)_

JO: According to this, Cass mentioned Dana about three hundred times. That’s also factoring in e-mails to Dana herself, or the original e-mails she was responding to. I just need to quickly check each use of her name to see what context she was mentioned in.

_(Henry’s eyes widen.)_

HENRY: Wait. Before you do that…can you run a similar search for Kim?

_(Jo nods and types. She gets a puzzled look on her face, quickly replaced by realization.)_

JO: Huh. Her name only pops up about a hundred and twenty times. That…

_(She turns to look at Henry, nodding slightly.)_

JO: It makes sense. She wanted Val for herself, and was jealous Cass got there first. So she kills Cass and frames Dana for it. Two birds with one stone. Oldest trick in the book.

_(Henry makes a face.)_

HENRY: It certainly is.

_(FLASHBACK: Eloise and Esther are shouting at each other. Henry is between them, holding his hands out to either side, as if he’s ready to physically keep them apart.)_

ELOISE: How could you, Esther? You _knew_ how I felt about Henry, and you _still_ tried to take him away from me!

ESTHER: As if you’d be interested in him for very long! A few weeks of sweet words and gifts, and then you’d get bored and move on to someone else! I wasn’t going to let you do that to another decent man!

HENRY: Ladies, ladies, please! We can discuss this calmly, without resorting to insults!

_(They ignore him, still shouting.)_

ELOISE: How _dare_ you! I’ve never led a man on like that!

ESTHER: Tell that to the five men you were with last year! They’re always accosting me at some party or other, telling me their tale of woe about how you threw them over. You start sensing a pattern after a while, especially when my association with you makes them unwilling to see me as anything but a tool to get back in your good graces! Why can’t _I_ be the one to have the fun for once?

_(Eloise lunges for Esther and manages to shove her out of the room. Henry quickly chases after them.)_

ELOISE: You miserable _liar!_

HENRY: Eloise, don’t!

_(The fight has moved onto the second floor landing of a nicely appointed house. Eloise and Esther are near the railing, slashing at each other’s faces and clothes. The two of them continue to shout insults at each other, while Henry attempts to get between them, dodging their blows. Finally, he succeeds, speaking calmly as he does so.)_

HENRY: Fighting like this will do nothing but cause an injury. Let’s stop this before things go too…

_(The ladies, who are mostly oblivious to Henry’s presence, lash out at each other again. Their hands collide with Henry, and they push with enough force to knock him off balance. After a moment of wobbling, Henry goes over the railing.)_

ESTHER AND ELOISE: _Henry!!!_

_(Henry hits the ground hard. As he winces and groans, there’s a pounding of feet. Eloise and Esther fly down the stairs, straight past Henry, and go out the door.)_

ESTHER: Oh God…oh God…what have we done?

ELOISE: Stay right there, Henry! We’ll get help!

_(As the door closes, Henry lays his head on the floor, clearly about to “die”. As his eyes close, a flash of light transitions back to…)_

_(MODERN DAY: Jo rises to her feet, and Henry steps aside to make room for her.)_

JO: I’ll have Hanson go over the e-mails in more detail. I think we need to bring Kim in for a round of questioning.

HENRY: My thoughts exactly, Detective.

_(Cut to commercial)_  
***  
 _(The elevator door at the apartment complex opens, and Henry and Jo exit at a brisk pace. They hurry down the hall to the appropriate door. Jo knocks.)_

JO: Kim? It’s Detective Martinez and Doctor Morgan. Can we come in?

_(Silence. Jo knocks again.)_

JO: Kim?

_(A faint crashing noise comes from the apartment, followed by the sound of running feet. Jo immediately starts elbowing the door.)_

JO: Kim, open the door or I’ll have to come in by force!

_(No response, so Jo rams the door open. She and Henry run in, looking around.)_

JO: Check the bedrooms!

_(As she checks the kitchen, Henry quickly makes his way to the adjoining hall. There are four doors there, all closed, but Henry quickly presses his ear to each door, listening for a moment before moving on. As he reaches the third door, Jo comes up behind him. Pressing his ear to the door, he hears something, and motions for Jo to open it.)_

KIM (through the door): Damn it, out of the way! Out of the _way!_

_(Jo opens the door and points her gun.)_

JO: Freeze!

_(Kim is hunched over a window, trying to pry it open. Realizing she’s been caught, she reluctantly raises her hands. Jo comes forward and starts handcuffing her. As she speaks, Henry steps into the room and looks around.)_

JO: Well, we can add “resisting arrest” to the list. And why would you try to go out the window, anyway? I doubt they open that wide precisely _because_ they don’t want people falling to their deaths.

_(Henry notices something and smiles slightly, pointing.)_

HENRY: I don’t think that was the reason she couldn’t open the window.

_(Jo looks, and smiles, clearly holding back laughter. Orpheus is sitting right at the spot where the window slides open, blocking its path. He looks up and meows. Henry smiles and reaches out, petting Orpheus carefully.)_

JO: Is that wise, Henry?

HENRY: _(shrugging)_ It seems like the least I can do. He helped solve the case, after all.

_(Jo shakes her head affectionately and leads Kim out of the room. Henry continues petting Orpheus, who nuzzles his head against Henry’s fingers. Eventually, though, he does have to draw out his handkerchief and sneeze. Shaking his head, he gives Orpheus one last pet and moves away.)_

HENRY (voiceover): Death may be the greatest surprise, but life is full of surprises too. Not all of them are good, of course, but the pleasant surprises, great or small, should always be treasured and appreciated. After all, they’ll provide memories for you to hold onto in the bad times, and when death finally does come, the mourners will look back on those moments and be able to hold onto them themselves.

_(As Henry exits the room, we transition to a FLASHBACK: Henry is carrying two bags and a walking stick, and is talking to a landlord.)_

LANDLORD: Are you sure you want to rent out this house, Mr. Morgan? You’d get much more if you just sold it.

HENRY: I’m sure. I value speed over value at this point in time.

LANDLORD: Where will you be going?

HENRY: I haven’t decided yet. Somewhere on the continent, I think. I’ll make up my mind once I get to the dock.

_(He starts to move away, then pauses and turns back.)_

HENRY: Oh, and should two ladies call for me, give them these.

_(He holds out two envelopes, which the landlord takes.)_

LANDLORD: Is there any message I should pass on?

HENRY: Just…tell them that their friendship is far more important than any man that happens to catch their eye. They proved it themselves after my accident.

_(The landlord looks confused. Henry turns and walks to a waiting car, leaning heavily on his walking stick. He enters the car and closes the door, transitioning back to…)_

_(MODERN DAY: Henry is back at Abe’s Antiques, sitting at the table and examining the scarf Orpheus damaged. Abe sits nearby.)_

ABE: Knitting needles, huh? No wonder we didn’t figure it out; I don’t tend to deal in that stuff.

HENRY: Yes, well, I almost wish you would; this is going to be incredibly costly to have repaired. Honestly, how do cat’s claws even _get_ that sharp?

_(Abe takes the scarf.)_

ABE: Let me see that. _(examines it for a moment)_ Eh, it’s along the seam. That’s fixable. If you can get a similar colored thread, I can probably sew it up. It won’t ever look as good as it did before, but…

HENRY: Abraham! I didn’t know you could sew!

ABE: You aren’t the only one with hidden talents. Besides, in the army you had to learn to do your own minor repairs to keep your uniform in shape. So what do you say? Would you rather spend three bucks on thread or thirty bucks to have a professional do it?

_(Henry smiles and gets to his feet.)_

HENRY: I believe there’s a fabric store a few blocks from here. Much closer than the tailor’s, that’s for certain.

_(Abe grins, and the two of them walk away. Fade to black.)_


End file.
